Expect David Morgan and others to get responsibility down the stretch
David Morgan #66 of the San Diego Padres reacts after striking out Ryan Mountcastle #6 of the Baltimore Orioles during the sixth inning at Petco Park on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025 in San Diego, CA. David Morgan was not among the nearly 70 players who crammed into big-league side of the Padres’ complex in Peoria, Ariz.
, at the start of spring training. He broke camp with Double-A San Antonio, was handed a literal cup of coffee from Joe Musgrove at Petco Park before the end of April and on Tuesday jogged into a bases-loaded jam in a big-league game for the first time. “All of us will have to step up,” Morgan said. “ was covering a lot of roles. He was coming in early. He was coming in late. All of us are going to have to step up, for sure.” The bullpen may be the least of the Padres’ concerns on Friday, as they open a three-game series against the Rockies in Denver looking to pull out of four-game losing skid and a 2-8 slog. The Padres’ starting pitchers haven’t completed six innings in an outing since Aug. 24. The offense has been behind the eight ball from the start of most of those games. The defense has eroded along the way, and the loss of both shortstop Xander Bogaerts and Adam to injuries has torpedoed what had been sky-high vibes following two convincing victories over the Dodgers. The Padres expect Bogaerts back before the end of the season. They hope Michael King’s return — perhaps as soon as next week — will go a long way toward steadying the starting rotation. They’ve already made the requisite moves to upgrade the lineup. That was all supposed to be secondary to the super bullpen that A.J. Preller beefed up with the addition of flame-thrower Mason Miller at the trade deadline.“We still have a lot of dogs in here,” right-hander Jeremiah Estrada said. Added bullpen coach Ben Fritz: “We’ve got good stuff in there. We’ve got a good mindset. It’s going to present opportunities that I think we’re more than capable from a stuff and mindset to take more leverage innings. Again, you can’t replace the person … but at least it happened now. There’s games left. Guys have to step up. They are going to get opportunities that they haven’t had before, but there’s definitely the mindset and the stuff to do it.” ….Jeremiah Estrada #56 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on Thursday, July 10, 2025 in San Diego, CA. Understanding what the Padres’ bullpen is absorbing begins with comprehending just how good it’s been. The Padres’ relief corps leads the majors in ERA , opponent average and WHIP , ranks third in efficiency and is in the top 10 in strikeouts, holds and strikeout-to-walk ratio. No unit had ever sent three relievers to an All-Star Game, and it was Adam who got the first invite over NL saves leader Robert Suarez. Adam’s 29 holds remain tied for second in the majors. His 1.93 ERA ranks ninth among relievers with at least 50 innings and his 65 appearances are still tied for the eighth-most in baseball. Suarez carries a 2.90 ERA and has 35 saves. Adrián Morejón has a 1.85 ERA, 11 wins and 18 holds. No NL reliever has more strikeouts than Estrada’s 90. And Miller has the best fastball-slider combo in baseball. Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Petco Park on Sept. 3, 2025 in San Diego, California. “If a starter goes six, then we had three innings and five guys to find the best matchups,” Fritz said. “Those were great problems that we had.” It’s one reason Adam had appeared in games as early as the fifth this season as Padres manager Mike Shildt picked out spots to put a lock on leads or chase close deficits. One day after Adam suffered his season-ending injury, Morgan was summoned to the mound in the fifth inning to face a bases-loaded jam for the first time in his career. Two pitches later — both strikes, the last a down-and-in sinker that Emmanuel Rivera sent back over Morgan’s head – a one-run game had metastasized into a three-run deficit. Morgan’s next pitch ended the inning. He then stranded a single and an intentional walk the next inning. After another tough loss, Morgan embodied the mindset that Fritz is talking about as he assessed the opportunity in front of him. “I felt good,” Morgan said. “I made a good pitch. He put a good swing on it, hit it up the middle and got out of it after that. Go back out, get my three outs later. But I felt good coming into it. Same old game: get an out.The Padres’ Robert Suarez celebrates after getting the final out in the Padres’ victory over the Giants on Thursday. Suarez leads the team’s relievers with 140 plate appearances in high-leverage situations, followed by the injured Adam , Estrada and Morejón ; Miller has 19 in a little more than a month since the trade to San Diego. Left-handers Wandy Peralta and Yuki Matsui are a clear shelf or two below that, as represented by their 3.41 and 4.37 respective ERAs. Morgan is a logical option to graduate to a higher tier as his 2.72 ERA over 39 ⅔ innings is the ninth-lowest among qualifying rookie relievers. Opportunities also figure to emerge for Matsui and Peralta, both of whom have been pushed toward the bottom of the depth chart. The lefties have experience in the back of games, too, with Matsui saving 236 games in Japan before arriving last year and Peralta collecting 13 saves and 75 holds throughout his 10-year career. Both have also been prone to blow-up innings. As relievers move up the chain, spots will open behind them. Rosters have expanded this week, so the Padres are carrying a 10-man bullpen into Coors Field and will likely do so until King rejoins the rotation. The lower-rung options right now include right-handers Sean Reynolds and Alek Jacob and left-hander Kyle Hart. One of those arms will likely go down if the Padres recall a starter — perhaps Randy Vásquez — for Saturday’s game, but they could also filter in and out of San Diego throughout this month. Right-handers Bradgley Rodriguez and Ron Marinaccio and left-hander Omar Cruz are also on the 40-man roster and could be options. “This is baseball; this is how it happens,” Peralta said through interpreter Jorge Merlos. “You have to keep in our mind and move forward.” Added Reynolds: “I’ll sing the same tune that I’ve sung since I got here in this organization. I will do whatever it takes to help this team win, especially this time of year. For a lack of a better term, it’s not country time. We’re all here to try to win a World Series.”San Diego County’s most exclusive trail is getting a re-route, after years of controversy over nearby eagles Start of refinery shutdown in LA area may start as soon as this week. What does it mean for you at the pump? Start of refinery shutdown in LA area may start as soon as this week. What does it mean for you at the pump?Dilapidated California Theatre building is on the market again. Will anyone buy it?Monsoon moisture and Hurricane Lorena will keep San Diego County hot and muggy ThursdayWoman accused in Escondido man’s death during fetish encounter must stand trial for murder
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Padres pregame: Both Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill in Tuesday’s lineupThe return of Jackson Merrill pushes Ryan O’Hearn to the bench for Game 2 vs. Baltimore Orioles
Read more »
Padres’ bullpen preparing to move on after losing Jason Adam for the seasonMRI confirms left a ruptured left quad tendon for Jason Adam, expected to undergo surgery Wednesday and begin six- to nine-month rehab
Read more »
Tom Krasovic: Padres should still like playoff odds, even if history shows anything can happenDon’t expect a repeat of 2010’s wackiness down the stretch in 2025
Read more »
Padres go down early again, lose again to OriolesOrioles score three runs in first three innings against Yu Darvish, who lasts just four innings
Read more »
Padres fans react to first day of downtown San Diego special events parking zone ratesRyan Hill is stoked to be in San Diego! He’s coming to the area from Sacramento. So, he only had to shuffle his area codes around a little bit, trading the 916 for the 619.
Read more »
Jason Kelce's Non-Alcoholic Beer Blunder Sparks Laughter on PodcastFormer NFL star Jason Kelce hilariously recounts his accidental consumption of non-alcoholic beer. Kelce confesses his realization about his beverage choices on the 'Bussin' with the Boys' podcast, revealing that he and his brother Travis both made the same mistake.
Read more »